Population
- +10 million—ranked 9th in the United States
- +18% growth, almost twice the national average
- 196 persons per square mile
GDP
- $508 billion—ranked 9th in the United States
Capital
- Raleigh
Size
- 53,819 square miles
Geography
- Absolute Location: Between 33 degrees North and 37 degrees North latitude; between 75 degrees West and 85 degrees West longitude.
- Relative Location: North Carolina is located in the Southeast region of the United States. The state is bordered by Virginia to the north, Tennessee to the west, South Carolina to the south and Georgia to the southwest. The Atlantic Ocean forms North Carolina’s eastern border.
- Landforms: There are three distinct landforms of the Southeast and of North Carolina: the Coastal Plain, the Piedmont and the Appalachian Mountains. The Coastal Plain is low, flat to gently sloping land that extends along the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Much of the Southeast lies within the Coastal Plain. The Piedmont, characterized by hilly, rolling land, borders the Coastal Plain. The Piedmont extends from Virginia to Alabama. The Appalachian Mountains, the largest range in the eastern United States, stretch from Canada to northern Alabama.
- Time Zone: North Carolina is located in the Eastern Time Zone (GMT -5, EST. The state does observe Eastern Daylight Time).
County Government
- Counties: 100
- County Seat: Term for the town or city where county government conducts business (like a state’s capital city)
- Governing Body: County Board of Commissioners—elected by citizens of the county; serve 2 to 4-year terms; 2 to 7 member board